Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty has long been associated with fitness, discipline, and mindful living. As the face of the wellness brand AgeWell, Shetty champions longevity science and the idea of living healthier, more purposeful lives after 40. His growing interest in the startup ecosystem is equally notable. Appearing as an investor on Amazon MX Player’s Bharat Ke Super Founders, the actor has reportedly invested close to Rs 100 crore across ventures.
In a recent LinkedIn post, Shetty reflected on how startups were once expected to follow a “fixed template” to succeed. Drawing parallels with his own industry, he admitted that even entertainment relied heavily on repeating formulas that worked in the past. Today, he argues, that mindset is shifting, with founders, much like creators, learning that authenticity, adaptability, and originality matter far more than fitting into a predefined mould.
In November 2025, he partnered with entrepreneurs and launched ‘AgeWell’ and used ‘ageing as a strength, and not decline,’ to provide longevity goals for those above 40. Turning his Bollywood fanbase into a wellness marketeer, Shetty became the face of the brand. He hence echoed that founders who were ‘far more comfortable being exactly who they are,’ changed the game entirely.
How Indian founders are changing the game? Suneil Shetty answers
Opening up about his journey on ‘Bharat Ke Super Founders‘, Suneil Shetty acknowledged that in the endless race of startup building, founders struggled to catch up, rather than set trends. He added that his observations felt different. “They’re not trying to polish away their context. They’re building for India, from India, without apology. They speak in their own voice. They solve problems they understand deeply,” Shetty explained his view about the founders of today.
From building hyper-local niches to building brands for global borders, Shetty explained how the ‘shift matters, because confidence changes everything.” He identified the ‘shift’ as ‘progress’ and elaborated on the relevance of founders who stopped trying to impress, but recalibrated their focus. “When you stop trying to impress, you start focusing on what actually works. For customers. For teams. For the business itself,” Shetty advised.
However, the ‘confidence’ wasn’t something that shot up overnight. “It’s coming from watching other Indian founders create serious value without copying anyone else’s playbook. There’s so much pride in that,” the Bollywood actor-turned investor opined.
He spoke positively about India’s startup ecosystem explained how it is the country’s “biggest strengths…We’re no longer asking for permission to belong.” And hence he felt that this was progress done right.
